Bellatrix Star
by Antares Ankaa
Summary: A girl living in the same era, with surprisingly the same tradgedies as Gene... What happens when these two wondering souls finally meet?
1. Alshain Algorab

**_Alshain Algorab… The Falcon Raven _**

"Phew! Finally finished!" a pale girl says exasperated as she leans back on the final black plate that she put onto her ship. She looks down to her fairly greased and torn jeans and the now black sports bra and the high-laced boots that she wore when building. She sighs with a tool still in hand as she looks around her father's garage. She remembered when she first started working on this ship when she was five, on the designing and blueprint computer on an old, rickety card table near her father's work. A decade has passed now, and for five of them she was the only one of her three other sisters to actually get down and dirty like this. "About one more month to finish the internal business, and a bit more fine tuning, and this bloody craft of work should be flying by the new year…" she says to herself under her breath, reciting to herself what else she must do for the ship to be completely finished. 

Suddenly she saw light from the side of the garage. The door opened with a small creak, and she jumped off the wing of it and to the floor without a sound. Cat-like, she stalks the footsteps that she hears. She can already sense the tension in their beating. With a mischievous grin she silently drops the tools in her hands and like a cat, walks on all fours. She finally rounds the ship and catches sight of her prey. She freezes at the sight of him as he does the same. She climbs effortlessly onto the front part of the wing and onto of the laser launcher and crouches there in the shadows of the darkness. She glances through the cockpit window beside her to see if anyone follows. The grin grows as she pushes a bit of the deep purple and blue highlights that surround her face and flips back the base black of her hair as well in preparation. She loosens then tenses, her prey still frozen to the spot. She then concentrates on the muscles in her calves and thighs', calculating how much energy is needed from her to pounce on her large target, without falling short, or over shooting it as well. She finally springs into the air and lands squarely onto her father's back. "AAAHHH!!! GABRIELLE! WHAT ARE YOU DOING YOU TART?" screams the old, yet strong man as he spins around trying to pry himself from his own daughter. She holds on to him, spinning with him, her legs dangling to the sides as she does not want to impair the poor man with her heavy metal boots. She giggles in humour and she finally releases him landing on both feet, leaving him with his hand to his chest and the other supporting himself on the table of wrenches nearby. His knees buckle and the scarred, weary man settles himself into the chair in front of it. "Christ girl! Could've given me a heart attack!"

"That's why man invented the rehabilitation chambers and anti-gravity to slow down that…" she replies the grin still to her glowing face, but the giggling now ceased.

He sits back still trying to catch his breath. He looks up to the ship and says slyly, "I see you are done with the last layer of the titanium. I wonder how you will get that hunk of metal off the ground they way you do it."

"Don't forget that most of the weight is within the turbines, and the jets, and the light speed coursing, and the-" she says gesturing to him as she lists the other factors of the weight involved.

"Yes, yes! I understand that," he says holding his hand up and interrupting. "It doesn't mean I don't have any faith in you my dear girl. I just don't want you to hurt yourself in this nonsense."

"Nonsense you call it! Where in the galaxies did you get that, pray tell?" she says flicking the cheek with the jagged scar. 

He rubs it viciously as he thinks for a moment, but then retorts; "This was nonsense as well. And don't start because I remember the stories that I tell about it! But being a Bellatrix is not all fun and games… It is a hard and also lonesome life my dear… Do not forget the consequences for…" Gabrielle sighs and mimics him by jabbering her mouth to the same tune as he, for she has heard this speech many a time. 

His pasty, broad face stops as he finally looks to his daughter who is still mimicking him further than he has got. The muscled man's face turns cold as his daughter finally looks to him and sees his glance. Surprisingly, she does not flinch at his stare, but returns the look back. Taken aback so much, his face softens and he sighs, "Fine, do as you want. I see that your mind has settled on it already, there is nothing that I can do to stop you." 

She sighs as well, for this was yet another speech that she knew well. But suddenly her father's face turns backwards and he grins mischievously, just like her daughter and says as well, "But I see that I should not fear that no one shall bother you, for you have inherited my stare." 

She looked back to him, the stare ceasing, but the flickering remaining in her eyes. She stayed silent as she reminisced if what she did was truly necessary. After a moment of the silence they both sighed simultaneously, and Gabrielle looked to the opening in garage up to the now night sky. Her father followed the arch of her neck and looked up as well. He finally asked her "So, what are you to name your ship Antares." He says using her proper birth name. She sighs through her nose then says under her breath, but still audible, 

"My ship shall be Alshain Algorab…" her voice reverberating around the solid metal walls of the immense garage. 

Her father smirks, "Oh really now. Another star name isn't it?" he says not looking to her but still up to the sky.

"Yes…It's the Falcon Raven…"

"Intriguing my dear girl."

"Uhumm…" she says.

A few more minutes of silence and her father finally looks to her and says seriously, "Believe me Antares, the stars will not seem as bright after you have been close to them for too long…" He then stands from his seat and makes his way out of the door, the metal creaking as usual as he does so. 

She doesn't look back to him as he leaves, but instead she jogs over to the blueprint computer and starts making a list of all the things needed for the inside of the ship, and also for the secret transformation.

"That girl worries me Zeldaria…" the old man says slumping into his chair as Gabrielle's older sister leans to him on the kitchen table.

"Daddy, don't worry! She is going through the same phase that Mom went through; hopefully it won't be as deadly though. She just wants to make her place in the world, and I'm surprised that you didn't help an inch…" She says the last sentences under her breath, but he hears anyway and retorts loudly.

"I told her we made a bargain. If she wanted to become a Bellatrix like her mother and I, she would have to make the ship by herself, and be restricted from buying any models."

"You are a harsh old Scrooge." She says leaning over further and pinching his un-scarred cheek. He pondered over how much Antares looked equally like him and her mother, while her other siblings favoured more to one parent then the other. The pinch brought him back to reality and he leaned back into his chair and rubbing his other cheek he replies,

"Where are your other watery tarts called brothers and sisters?"

"Cassia is with Sarah at the malls around this colony, and Jean is gun hunting again, and Dameon is out with his friends again." She says blankly as if it was routine. They both fall silent as Zeldaria grabs the coffee in the Beverage Bot. "Hot or cold Daddy?" he grunts in return. She sighs and gets him lukewarm mocha and pushes the buttons on the computer. She grabs the cup out of the chute and tosses it to him. He grabs it; pops open the lid, and sets it on the table. She once again sighs and waltzes up the stairs like the child she once was, and still acts like, as she enters her bedroom for the night. 

He sits and slowly drinks his coffee, not noticing the taste or the temperature as he ponders and wonders over the fact that her littlest girl actually carried out her dream while the others left it in the back of their mind to be forgotten over the years. He watches as her short yet slim stature finally enters the kitchen through the garage door. She waves to him and runs up the stairs without a word, seeing that she can't stand to be in the grease and grime much longer. He nods to the dashing figure as it leaps up the stairs in goodnight, and he himself finally falls asleep in his chair still wondering over the facts and factors…

**********

Thanks for reading! It may take a chapter or two for her to meet Gene and the gang though… (Just a warning!)


	2. The Bellatrixes and the Outlaws

**__**

The Bellatrixes and the Outlaws

She woke up, still sore from rushing to finish the plating the night before. As usual she had awoken without an alarm clock at the break of dawn. She quickly showered and got dressed in clean, yet old and ripped jeans, and a sports bra, then headed down the stairs for tablets. She was surprised that she found her father asleep in his chair with his hand still wrapped around his, now cold, cup of coffee. She quietly approached him with a concerned look on her face. She had seen this behaviour before. It was the first time that she ordered supplies with her own saved money for the ship. She gingerly shook him, "Louis… Louis… Wakey, wakey. The suns are up on the new day." She says as he stirs in his sleep and finally his eyes jolt open and he jerks upright.

"What the? How did I…" he says trailing off as she stands back and lets him view his surroundings. He shakes his head and leans his elbows to the table and his head in his hands and he sighs, "Oi vey… How long did I sleep in Antares?"

"Only a few minutes Lou…"

"Why do you call me that?"

"Hmm?" She says looking through the fridge for the wave tablets.

"Louis, Gabrielle! I'm your father for bloody Christ's sake!" he says annoyed more at himself for sleeping down here again then at the girl.

"I know, I know… It just got stuck. I remember going to those firing ranges and being the only girl there, and when I shouted 'Daddy' about a million heads turned to me, so I got accustomed to addressing you as Louis."

He looks at his fifteen-year-old daughter talking like a scholar; "You talk too much."

"You ask too many questions." She shoots back automatically.

He looks to her with a raised eyebrow, but stays silent. He finally speaks up and asks, "So my dear starling, what is on the agenda today?"

She says in a very sarcastic business like manner, "Well you see my dear father, I have to order the things for the internal Living Quarters as well for the Gym, and the Gravity Training Room. After that I must stock on supplies for Storage than work on fine-tuning as well as a new space wardrobe, a vehicle to put into the garage, start testing the generators as well as everything else. Plus let us not forget that I must work hurriedly on the program and personality discs for the Bots and the ship itself and get my entire weapon supplies in order. And lets not forget that I must surmise it all into a report form in order for it to get properly registered for it is my own model." She says all in one breath, her father turning purple from not laughing that the sarcastic tone.

He finally regains himself to speak and says, "Well m'lady it sounds like you have much to do! Carry on!" She bows royally in sarcasm in reply and dashes majestically (once again in sarcasm) out the garage door to the ordering computer.

She jogs merrily, her now natural colour hair of auburn base and surrounding blonde and bright red highlights, bouncing around her head despite the ponytail that she managed to get it all into. She goes into one of the transparent rooms surrounded by hard plastics and settles herself in front of her own computer, never far from her father's. She begins ordering the supplies to the multiple companies, all of them she made sure and checked that they got their materials from natural sources, and distributed her account number to them all. Before each order she made sure that she had enough credits of course, for she was in a teenage program that was reported to the government, and if you handled your own account well, they awarded you with bonus creds. She found that the rates had gone down, to her happiness, and ordered a few extra things as well and a few spare parts. She was pleased that even though she had bought the extras, she still spent less then anticipated. So then her ordering was done quickly, so she EM (e-mail for short in the futuristic era) the post to drop off the supplies that she ordered to be dropped off at Lou's Phoenix Garage. They EMed her back in a few ticks stating that the procedure would be completed at 01400 hours today. That was the only downfall of the day. Usually she got her supplies only five hours later. She looked to her watch and it read 00500. She knew that it was that time of the year when the posts went flying, but oh well, she usually overestimates other people too much. So instead she worked on the Living Quarters and cockpit planning as well as a "few other things" that she had kept secret from them all. She had the supplies needed for the cockpits, but she used her own inventions, as well, to finally complete it that day. She finished the blueprints and loaded it into the computer for all the other internal stages and started on her transitional vehicle when the supplies finally came in.

She opened the packages with the bar code key that she kept hung around her neck on a necklace for safekeeping. She found all of her supplies in order and she finally finished the Kitchen/Dining Room, the Bedroom/Bathroom, and the Living/Entertainment Room, and finally finished the Computer Room just as the sun went down. She still knew that she had the lower part of the ship's internal's to finish, but at least she had all the Living Quarters done. She sat back, having got much more work done today than the other days of the ten years that she started this project.

So thus the next month of November continued, working harder, and faster than most other days. She finally completed it all, the Living Quarters, the Gym and the Garage/Storage, plus she had the personality discs for the program all finished as well. Plus she also finished the secrets of her ship as well. And with all this she was glad that her Alshain would be past the clouds, and be flying amongst the stars sooner than ever. She felt the presence of it all around her. She knew that she would be the youngest registered Bellatrix of the known Galaxies, possibly the Universe. She now just wondered if anyone of the Outlaws were the same. She found that none of the registered men were as young as she scanned the sites of the registered ages of the Bellatrixes and the Outlaws, the women and the men, of the known Galaxies. So she finally loaded up the personality discs, and cleaned out her room at home, and stocked up on the extra things that would be needed, plus she fixed her space wardrobe with clean, new space clothes, as well as colony clothes that she would need after she landed

Finally the first day of December came and she brought forth her report to the nearly bald man, despite the thinning ponytail. He looked at her curiously as she handed the disc to him. He suspiciously loaded it into his computer and scanned the report:

NAME OF SHIPà (ANANOMYS)

MODEL OF SHIPà WAS BUILT BY DRIVER/OWNER IN HER OWN STYLE OF CHOICE

NAME OF OWNERà (BIRTH NAME) ANTARES ANKAA (PREFERED NAME) GABRIELLE ASHLEY

DOLà DEC 1 2500 AD

AGE OF OWNERà 15 YEARS

HOME WORLDà EARTH COLONY(LONDON 410)

WEIGHT OF SHIP(ESTIMATE/RANGE)à 1000-1500 KILOS.

TOP SPEED OF SHIPàHAS YET TO BE BREACHED

LENGTH/WIDTH/HEIGHTà10000/8000/5000 METERS

COLOURS OF PLATESàMIDNIGHT BLACK, DEEP DARK ROYAL PURPLE AND BLUE, DARK FPRST GREEN, BLOOD RED, LINED WITH SILVER.

COCKPIT:

HOLDSàSTEERING, ROBOTICS MAIN CONTROL, WEAPON CONTROL, BATTLE CONTROL

HOMEFRONT(LIVING QUARTERS):

HOLDSàBEDROOM/BATHROOM:CLOTHES, BED, SHOWER/BATH, OTHER NORMAL BATHROOM FACILITIES. LIVING ROOM/COMPUTER ROOM:COUCHES, SEATS, DESK, TV, ST, MDVD, DISCS, LAPTOP, MAIN DATA STORAGE, LOG, UNI. CRED ACCOUNT. KITCHEN/DINING ROOM:NORMAL DINING AND KITCHEN FACILITIES AND KITCHEN TOOLS, TABLE, CHAIRS.

GYM/STORAGE:

HOLDSàGYM:FIRST-AID, WEIGHT, TRACK, WEAPON, AND POOL TRAINING ROOMS, GRAVITY TRAINING ROOM. STORAGE:COLONY/MINI VEHICLE, SPARE PARTS, FOOD STORAGE, CLOTHING STORAGE, CRED SAFE.

EXTRA NOTES:àBLACK PLATES COVER WEAPONRY, THE BLOOD RED PLATING SIDES OF SHIP CAN BE BOTH USED FOR DOCKING, BACK CAN OPEN TO STORAGE. WINGS HOLD MAIN ENGINES, MOTORS, MAIN FIREPOWER.

The man looked astonished to Antares. He had seen less through reports on those twice her age. "Well, well little one. You are lucky for next year they are putting on an age restriction. The set is supposed to be eighteen years old." He says quickly after seeing the frantic look on her face. "Don't fret though! Since you have already registered, your licence cannot be revoked if you have done no wrong. And from the looks of it Miss Ankaa," he says nodding at her name "your mother and father put forth good reputations, and your mother's was clean until that accident."

"Thank you sir. Did they ever find the problem with her ship that caused her death?" she says wonderingly

Once again amazed at her bravery from bringing back the memories of the famous Bellatrix, he replies sadly as he desperately finds her mother's file, "Alas dear, Mrs. Gabrielle Ankaa's reason for death is still a mystery. I'm sorry…" he says trailing off, for fear of breaking the girl's heart. She simply nods her head and sighs. There is a moment of silence between them, but she quickly raises her head and grins.

"Finished with the disc upload yet?"

"Oh err… Not yet… But I'll get to it Miss Ankaa. You can sit in the lobby if you wish."

"No that's alright. Just buzz me…" She says and rushes out the door to sit on her covered motorcycle. Yes it's the interchangeable vehicle that she had worked on as transportation on the places that she would visit later on. She sat on the seat and pressed on the panel of the motorcycle and read a chapter or two of Shakespeare on the panel when her watch started beeping. She looked to her wrist and saw the minuscule EM on it saying that her upload was done and that her licence was ready to be picked up. She sighed and waltzed back into the room. He handed the cred sized document that she slipped into her wallet, behind her vehicle liscence. She nodded in thanks to the man and rode back to her home to show her father that she had finally been registered.

But what she found was as unexpected as her mother's death and how she coped with it… 

**********

Sorry! Couldn't resist a cliffhanger there!


	3. A Tragedy

**__**

A Tragedy

When she finally drove up to her home she could already sense that something was wrong. She threw off her helmet and ran into the silent home. No one was to be found. The house itself was in ruins and she found only a small scratched note:

My dear Gabby. Those who have been rumoured to take your dear mother's life have attacked us. We were rushed out of the house, but before we left, I managed to write this to you. We are headed to the other side of the colony on the Docking Bays. They want you to come with your ship. DO NOT COME! Your siblings will be fine with me. I will find a way out of this! Stay put at the house and tune up your ride for a long haul. I hope this is not the last day that I see you… Dad…

She crumbled the note in her hands and closed her eyes in a moment of silence. Her eyes flash open. She runs out the door and opens the garage and loads her ship up for the last time. She looks around the familiar, homely place that she had worked for years in, and finally hopped into the open cockpit. She pushed her hands into the braces, and flipped the hanging eye instructor over her ear. She felt the metal encasing her and she closed her eyes and concentrated her energy. The rumbling of the engines jumped on. The robot turned on as well. It spoke in a metallic voice; "Unit #1 of Alshain named Al online." The eyes of the humanoid turned to Gabrielle. He recognised her in the documents in the program as his creator. He asked, "Set cordinates to what destination Gabrielle?"

"Set course to London #401 Docking Bays." She says as she looks to the transparent map panel.

"Roger that! Setting course at regulated speed of one thousand kilometres per second. Go on count Captain." He says, tapping into the ship's system and setting things up for lift off.

"On my mark… Three… Two… One… Go! All thrusters to full regulated speed Al!" she says over the hum of the engines. She pushes her arms into the braces further as Al reacts to her reaction by pulling smoothly out of the garage with the jets flaming behind them. She then thrusts her arms into the braces forcefully and the ship heads off at top regulated speed without even buckling.

"Full speed ahead Gabrielle and approaching target at precise timing." The robot says gleefully now hovering around the girl. She grins and unblinkingly looks out of the transparent cover of the cockpit as she views the scenery going by in flashes of colour. They reach the Ports sooner than expected and worriedly the Robot stammers, "Shall we brake Captain? Hello? Commander?" he says as they quickly approach the destination. She still stares but replies anyway harshly,

"The brakes will be my control. Brace yourself Al. I would like to surprise my foe." She says grinning almost evilly as she recognises the ship and the crowd in front of it. Al hovers behind his position and begins to holler from the adrenaline. Gabrielle soon joins his voice as she still gains speed going faster with no sign of braking. She holds the course as she picks a black hared man from the crowd below. Grimacing she hollers louder as she can see his face now. 

On the ground the young man's glance is diverted from his prisoners as he sees that Mr. Ankaa, along with his sons and daughters, are all looking in disbelief at the sky. His sly grin fades as well does his colour as he sees the falcon shaped ship draw nearer without any sign of halting at all. He stands his ground bravely while his minions nearby drag the prisoners into the ship without his command. He then turns to the ship his fists resting on his hips.

"That bloody idiot! What the hell does he think he is doing!" Al says now darting around the panels to make sure nothing has over heated as he looks out the transparent window. 

"SHUT UP AL!" she says forcefully as the Bot rants on as she concentrates on the right timing. "Almost there, come on, don't give out. Hold on a bit longer. Almost there." She says coaxing the mighty ship to hold its course. Daringly she thrusts her hands even deeper into the braces, excelling the speed. The Bot falls silent at the look on her face. She screams from the adrenaline again, as she goes faster and faster and faster then suddenly… She pulls both arms back with all her might about no less then one hundred meters away from her target. The Bot shoots forward, forgetting to brace his small form yelling along the way. The engines holler in protest but she holds her grasp, beads of sweat now forming at her brow as the ship struggles against creator. She screams to a deadening halt only five meters away from the man. 

The man shivers and is surprised at his own courage, and surprised that he hasn't soiled himself yet. He waits and the cockpit flies open and puts on his best, forced, sly grin that he can manage without exploding. He watches as the small figure jumps from the cockpit to the wing, then to the grassy floor of the outside Docks.

She approaches him cautiously with a look of pure hatred within her eyes, causing a fire to flame with fury within them. She sees right through the put on grin of the black hared man, and she got close enough to see the thin goatee upon his otherwise, cleanly shaven face and black uniformed man. He holds out his hand to her, "I assume Miss Ankaa?" she makes no move to the hand but shoves her hands into her pockets. He slowly retracts the hand while he continues the introduction, now trying harder to put on a grin. "The name is Corvus, the leader of the Raven Fleet." She stares at him in silence, unimpressed. "Err… I have a proposition to make." He says wearily her gaze now starting to hurt his eyes. "Come in to my most humble abode!" he says sarcastically as he makes to pat her back into leading the girl into the ship, but one glance that says _Lay a finger on me, and you die…_makes him firmly reconsider the action as she proceeds before him.

She finds the inside of the large craft very luxurious and expensive. She has heard of these thieving pirates. They duel others in Craft, Bot, and Annie fights around the Galaxies and bargain and trade with life and death for breakfast. She refuses to sit as she is gestured to and stands as Corvus does. "Say your deal now, before I force it the hard way…" She says harshly to him as so as she pivots to Corvus. _Tough broad… Most like her mother and father indeed. She is the best of all of her siblings so far…_ the man says to himself stroking his chin as he ponders on how to word it all.

"Basically my dear-"

"Call me 'dear' again, and I'll shoot you." She says bearing down on him.

He shivers at her unseeming coldness and continues. "Basically Miss Ankaa…" he says with emphasise on her name. "I propose a deal to you. I will release your, so called, family if you race with one of my pilots." He says tying to find her reaction but is at a loss so he continues. "If you win, we will release your family, up the winnings, and tell you that awful secret that we know about your mother." He finds glee in seeing the colour now draining from his opponent's face. "But if you lose, your mother's death will remain a mystery, and we will kill the remaining Ankaa family… one… by… one… In front of you and you will be put to death as well." 

__

Obviously I have no choice… she says within her mind. _I run the risk of losing all that I loved, and also lets not forget that today was the first day in flying my ship…_ She looks up after a period of silence. "It is agreed Corvus… I hope you follow the rules for your own sake…" he gulps after having seen the power of an Ankaa before. 

She departs quickly and hops into the backside of the ship this time and runs through it all scanning things as she goes to see for any errors and seeing none, she heads to her Living Quarters and pulls on a space suit. It is all of an a new material that fits so tightly like leather to the skin that it contours her short yet slim and muscular build, yet it also has the strength of steel, and it seems to shine softly like her auburn hair. Speaking of her hair. She ties all the red highlights and the auburn into a loose ponytail and lets her blonde highlights frame her face. She runs to the cockpit. Al struggles to hover and manages to zoom in mid air about a foot. "Urgh… 'ello Gabrielle… Don't you just love the season of fall?" he says his metallic voice sarcastic and human like so that she grins for a moment, but then quickly fills the weakened robot on the details. "WHAT? YOU MADE A BARGAIN WITH THOSE FIEGNS? THE INSOLENCE OF YOUNG PEOPLE THESE DAYS!" he rants on his silver plates turning red.

"Now Al, I have to do this without you. And don't rant about this!" she says cutting off the robot before his mouth flashes to speak. He grumbles about his master's circuitry and paces around the room. 

"I'll just shut down then. Hopefully I will be able to wake up later, if we have not been obliterated." He moans and disappears down the hall to the circuits. She grabs the eye instructor and flips it to her left eye, so that the ship can read her mind and react better to the situation. She ponders if she should go into battle positions or stay as the main cockpit. She decides to stay main so as not to be suspicious if their telecommunication waves cannot reach her there. A panel flashes up with Corvus's face. 

"Are you ready Miss Ankaa?" he says staring at the new suit.

"Ready as I'll ever be. What are the cordinates?" 

"I'll send it to your ship EM style right… now." He says as she can hear him tapping onto his own panel. She glances at them and orders up another panel for a map. Its up in space she finds and near the original Earth too. 

"Thank you Corvus." She says professionally as she starts the lift off sequence. She taps onto the solid panel in front of her and the engines start their humming again. She gracefully, gently, and slowly coaxes the ship vertically into space in the classic up-drive take off position. She grips the handles in the bottom of the arm braces firmly and slowly pushes forward as they reach ninety degrees. She then thrusts her arms in quickly to break out of orbit, following the huge docking ship of the Raven Fleet. She finally brakes and awaits further instructions as she looks forward and sees the racing ship slowly backing out of the fleet's docking bay. She sees Corvus's face once again pops up in front of her on the hologram panel.

"I'm ready for starting launch."

"Where is the finish line?"

"It's marked off by another ship of ours. There it also holds your family." He says grinning maliciously.

But this time her colour does not drain away. She stares coldly into his black eyes and pivots her ship so that it is side by side with Corvus's instead of facing him. She grins slyly back to his face, as the count down screen appears in front of both drivers starting at ten…

Nine…

Eight…

Seven…

Six…

Five…

Four…

Three…

Two…

One…

Go!

It finally flashes green as the light up to her left eye from the eye instructor lets her see outside the ship in order to direct the speed and angle of flight with more accuracy. She thrusts her arms forcefully to the back of the braces against the ship's will and she struggles against it, and it finally agrees and shoots neck to neck with the other ship. With her right eye fixated on the panels within Alshain she watches as Corvus begins to sweat. She grimaces at the fact but stays silent as she starts to feel her hands shake from holding the pressure down on the braces. They zoom past the small blue planet and she only glances at it for a second than tries to push further into the braces despite the already high tune of the engine and her shaking hands. They are still neck and neck and she yells, "Having fun yet Corvus? I'm not finished yet! Panel off!" She says and by distracting Corvus with her voice, she causes him to lose speed and she shoots forward as the panel closes and screams from the now burning pain in her hands as she pushes even further and harder into the arm braces.

He curses aloud, "YOU BLOODY IDIOT!" he pushes his broad shoulders forward as he also throws off his own bulky eye instructor, getting a better look of her pulling ahead. He screams in rage and yells as he pulls back on his one handle speed control in a depleted effort in trying to catch up (as it is custom to the classic racing models). She doesn't look back and not knowing how far behind her opponent was she pushes even more and reaches manual light speed (quite uncommon since it usually burns out the motors before reaching it or breaks the driver's hands). She now not only screams from the pain in her hands, but now from the pressure of the manual lightspeed taking its toll on her whole body. She finally skims past the prisoner spacecraft and yet another panel of Corvus's pops up in front of her.

"I see that you are more than what we expected young Ankaa." He says wearily as he watches her pant and slowly brake her ship, her chest heaving dramatically, and he watches as now her own sweat beads up on her hair, dampening it. He watches as she finally lifts her head to him and the young Antares grins while still amid her laboured breathing. He wipes his forehead on his robe's sleeve, but does not pant. He himself now grins, knowing that she does not know what is to come. He begins to giggle evilly at the thought and what her youthful face would look like if she knew. He now laughs aloud throwing his head back and he watches her grin fade in the background of the darkness of her cockpit and a quizzical look draw upon her face. 

"What is it Corvus?" she manages to force out between breaths. She senses something is awry and she tightens her grip on the handles once again causing the engines to rev again.

"Why, its amazing how gullible you truly are!" He says between another reverberating laugh. 

Her face falls as she sees him speaking to his own droids, "Carry out Plan B, Mr. Bot." He turns back to her but still speaks to the Bot, "Operation Tragedy…" Gabrielle finally catches wind of everything and screaming in fear she rushes to the Prisoner ship at full speed. She puts it on autopilot and jumps from her seat. She grabs onto the back of her original position and commands, "All panels cancel. Go battle mode." All of the sudden she is in complete darkness and seems to be in Anti-Gravity as she feels nothing under her, but still steady. She then presses a button behind her ear on the eye instructor and a metal like material covers the half of her face over her cheek, and around her left eye, but leaving her nose uncovered. Skin-tight gloves now cover her long fingers and the whole front of the ship turns into her window of space. She quickly sees the on coming fighter ships unloaded from the fleet's docking bay. She stares at the ships and Alshain jerks forward and rushes to the ships. Still holding her glance and her ship gaining speed, she holds out her palms stretched out in front of her and a light blue covering appears all over the ship. She hears the laser fires from the ships and makes both of her lags ridged and she feels the ship staying steady despite the blows. She closes her eyes and the ship halts. She lowers her hands slowly and the force field stays. She thrusts her right fist out and a light blue ball appears in front of her fist and likewise this is what everyone sees appearing on the ship's laser cannon on the right wing. She opens her palm and the ball is released from the wing and damages the centre right ship's left wing. She grins at this and starts punching into the air.

"What is this?" Corvus says worriedly at the screen in front of him showing how the falcon shaped ship is covered in a force field quickly and downs the centre right fighter ship in a second. He backs the ship away from the battlefield and heads to the Prisoner ship just as more blue missiles start firing rapidly at each other.

Consumed by the power she relaxes her legs and moves around in the darkness, like she is flying, and dodges around the ship's effortlessly and fires rapidly at their sides this time, punching into the empty space. She grins menacingly as she takes pleasure in defeating each ship one by one, now certain that she would win, and be back on London in no time.

He slowly and silently docks on the side of the Prisoner ship and enters the holding chambers where he put the Ankaa family. He maliciously grins to them; "Your daughter is dead. I suspect you hear the firing outside do you not Mr. Louis Ashley Ankaa?" Gabrielle's father sinks to his knees, and for the first time in a decade, cries aloud despite to comforting of his sons and daughters. But he quickly rises to his feet and looks coldly into Corvus's face.

"You lie, you damn boy… I can see it in your eyes…" Corvus steps back fearfully and itches an eye.

"Nope just have something in it Mr. Ankaa." But Gabrielle's father steps closer to him and the guards surrounding them all raise their guns. But Corvus waves them away. "Alright Ankaa… See what you can see…" He says the two men now nose to nose.

"I see fear… Ultimate fear of a spoiled two year old, that fears he may have to run to daddy to help him with this situation… That is what I see." He says whispering to him dangerously. 

Corvus now lets the fake grin fall with a look of pure fright sweeping over him. "You don't scare me. You will soon be joining your wife… As well as the rest of you." He says stepping backwards towards the door, but the father soon retorts as Corvus pivots to now facing the door.

"You better get your father soon Corvus. Antares will hunt you down, and she will take her revenge mercilessly. My daughter will hack you down piece… by piece… by piece… And she will find your father… And take him down as well…" he says a look of bravery and courage within his deep blue eyes and Corvus freezes at his words.

He turns and faces them all a last time; "We shall see Mr. Ankaa… We shall see…" He turns and waltzes out the door and two guards follow him. "Well! That was fun…" he says sighing. He then halts and faces the two guards. "Set the abandonment course and prepare the escape pods for launch, but leave the family here. I want the ship to burn slowly." He says viciously with hatred dancing around his voice. 

"Yes Master Corvus." The right says quickly as they salute and bow. They both rush off as Corvus grins and hears the lovely tone of the red alert bell. He gets to his ship quickly and he watches as all the escape pods blast out and set course for the Docking mothership. He grimaces as the fighter ships are nearly destroyed now. He shivers and releases the docking bridge and heads to the mother ship around the battlefield.

She thrusts her hands out more swiftly and then screams out as her arm muscles begin to feel limp and her legs want to tense up from all the moving about. She lets out all the pain and pressure and screams, also causing her firepower to become more forceful. All of the sudden, she sees the Prisoner ship go on red alert and the escape pods almost all out. Then one of the sides of the ship blows apart and it tilts to its side. Then another plate, and another. "No… This can't be happening…" She whispers to herself and the fighter ships are wiped from her mind as she rushes to the Prisoner ship.

"Daddy? Are we going to-?" small little Cassie says on the verge of tears as she rushes to her father, becoming frightened at the blaring horn surrounding the ship.

Her father puts on a straight face and looks happily to her. "I'm afraid so Cassie. And now you will finally be able to meet your mother." He says strongly as he picks up his littlest child in his arms. 

"Dad?"

"Yes sweetie?"

"Can we sing a song?" she whispers innocently into his ear.

Now the tears forming in his own eyes he replies, "Yes of course… What song?"

"The Favourite song."

"Rghto little chap!" he says cheerfully and Dameon, Jean and the rest of the family sit down together in a circle and their voice drown out the warning signs. The ship shakes as it is being blown apart and they sing song after song. 

"Rain drops on roses and whiskers on kittens. 

Bright copper kettles and warm woollen mittens.

Brown paper packages tied up with string.

These are a few of my favourite things."

Cassie breaks the melody as they all stop. She begins to cry silent tears, "I'm going to miss Gabby… It doesn't sound right without her voice…" She sniffles.

Her father holds her close and the strong man feels tears falling on his own face as well. Dameon scoots forward and pats her back. "Don't worry! We'll see her soon too… Just hopefully not to soon." Cassie looks to him and nods as he speaks to her cheerfully. They all continue the song,

"When the dog bites,

When the bee stings,

Or when I'm feeling sad.

I simply remember my favourite things,

And then I don't feel so bad.

"Girls in white dresses

With blue satin sashes.

Snowflakes, that stay

On my nose and eyelashes.

Silver white winters, 

That melt into spring.

These are a few of my favourite things.

"When the dog bites,

When the bee stings,

Or when I'm feeling sad.

I simply remember my favourite things,

And then I don't feel … 

So bad…"

Antares goes ridged and her eyes widen and water as all of the ship finally explodes. "NNNNOOOO!!!!" she screams in agony the tears pouring from her eyes. Alshain freezes as she does, but then there is a bright light encasing it, and the falcon shaped ship turns into an Armoured ship, shaped like a person with wings. "AAAHHH!" She screams and flies forward around in the darkness with a fire burning in her eyes unimaginable, and in response the Person like ship flies forward to the fighter ship just like a mirror image of its commander. She flings her arms out and punches into the air, and the Armoured ship punches through the fighter ships in her anger, reducing it into scrape metal. Still she flails and kicks at the garbage in rage, when a still loaded cannon is punched and explodes into her face, causing the Armoured ship to float like a corpse into the empty space. Since Anthers is connected to the ship, she falls unconscious, as the ship seems to from the blast. 

Corvus, now in the Mothership, looks around him at his window at all the destruction. He orders the guards to go lightspeed towards the nearest star pod or planet for repairs and to make a long log for the day. "What force can do this?" he whispers to himself. "The Ankaa was right… I must be weary and watch out for this girl…" He sits down at his commanding seat and sighs. "If this is the first time that se has flown in space by herself, the Gods only know what can come of her from the next years…" He leans his head back, hoping to never see the Antares again. He jerks his head up and now ponders if she is the legendary Star Child of the Universe. _She could be… But it is said to be my birthright… Maybe she just might be the rival that I overcome to get my final and eternal position…_ He then falls asleep with the new nightmares, wondering if his position might be one day stolen from him…

**********

Oh, the song belongs to the Sound of Music… I know it's corny! But it fit the situation…

And the time that she meets Gene is coming soon!


End file.
